Northrop RF-5 Tigereye (76-1564)

Great photo, thank you! Interesting looking paint scheme. Wonder what it looks like from the side?

Pretty sure that's not an RF-5. That's an F-5E.

Ok, disregard my last comment. It appears to be a site problem on the aircraft type. Great photo, as well!

Uploading another shot of this jet. It is 761564 from VFC-13. It's not a 90 degree side view,but it's the closest I got on this trip to Fallon NAS. Comes up as an F-5 Tiger II. I believe that most of these F-5's at Fallon NAS were purchased from the Swiss. There is also a two seater, but it didn't fly.

Thanks for a very good photo and informing us where it was taken.

Having flown over 1000 hrs in the F-5B,E & F models & associated with the recce version, I can tell all that the pix is an E model not recce version. RF-5E version retained only the left gun and had a flatter, fatter & extended nose cone in order to house the photo gear, the forward portion of which is oblique & with a somewhat blunt front end for taking pix.

By the way, if you ever get the chance to fly an F5E/F, the aerodynamics will water your eyes, leading edge flaps are great in flight as is the 13" nose hike for +3 deg AOA on TO.

Thanks for the info Dave. For some reason FlightAware has designated both of the pictures I've uploaded as RF-5's. I was caught off guard as they ran up their engines for takeoff and the nose started rising. I had never seen that before. The F-5's here at Fallon NAS look like they are in great shape for their age.

Why wasn't the F-5 used in Vietnam as a dedicated dog fighter. The original F-4 Phantom didn't even have a gun.